Frank Skinner would like to see a world where people ring their partners and say: "Darling, I'll be 20 minutes late because I'm nipping in to see George Stubbs's Whistlejacket at the National Gallery," instead of the usual reason, the pub.

The comedian himself is a regular popper-inner at the gallery and was yesterday happy to take people on a tour of his favourites to help celebrate the fifth anniversary of free entry into England's museums and galleries.

To mark the occasion, the government released figures which showed an average 83% rise in visits to museums and galleries which formerly charged. That is 30m extra visits, says the government, and something to be celebrated, according to the culture secretary, Tessa Jowell.

"These are inspirational figures," she said. "There is a real appetite for serious culture in this country - when the obstacle of entry fees is swept away, people come in their millions, and keep coming."

Skinner's aim yesterday was to persuade people of the benefits of going into a gallery, even for a short time and even if it is just to get out of the rain.

"This might take two or three hours," he warned his tour group as they gathered in the Sainsbury wing. He argued that everyone should have a personal response to art: make up your own mind before reading the notes on the wall.

Standing in front of Cosimo Tura's The Allegorical Figure, he admitted he had first been drawn to it because he fancied the subject. "There's something very sensual about her, with her high forehead and tumbling hair. It's all about fertility and coming forth, I think."

And there is always more to see if you look hard enough, he said. "There's a blacksmith in the corner of the painting, a bit like that bloke who does the signing on Hollyoaks. I think the painter has put him there to show that every piece of art has a lot of hard work put into it."

He also put his own interpretation on Moretto da Brescia's Portrait of a Young Man, believing him to be someone who has been gambling all night and lost most of his money. "The level of his forlornness is so long-term he's even put a couple of cushions under his elbow."

While Skinner was at the National Gallery, which has always been free, Ms Jowell was at the V&A, which has seen a 122% rise in visits since it got rid of charges in 2001. Ms Jowell said free admission was bringing fresh faces into galleries. "The figures give the lie to the myth that this is all about the same people visiting more often: a half of all visits are by new visitors."

One of the biggest increases was at the National Museums in Liverpool, where total visits have more than doubled from 694,197 in 2001 to 1.65m this year. In London, the Natural History Museum has seen a 112% increase and the Science Museum an 81% rise. Even places which did not previously charge have reaped the benefit - a quarter more people go to the National Portrait Gallery and visits to the Horniman Museum in south London have more than trebled.

The National Gallery has seen a drop but points to two very popular blockbuster exhibitions in 2001 as an explanation.

Ms Jowell faced criticism from the Tories and Liberal Democrats for not giving enough support to national museums and galleries. The Lib Dem arts spokesman, Paul Holmes, warned there was a great danger of entry charges making a return if the chancellor cuts grants to museums and galleries next year. "Rather than slapping herself on the back for the success of the free entry scheme, Tessa Jowell must act to ensure that our national museums and galleries can afford to remain open to all without charges in the future."

That foreboding is echoed by professionals in the sector. Recent figures from the Art Fund showed how little money the big museums and galleries have to actually spend on new works compared with other countries.

Conservative spokesman Ed Vaizey said: "We are lucky in this country to have some of the best museum and gallery directors in the world. An increase in visitor numbers is a tribute to their hard work." But he added: "Sadly, the government has failed to maintain its own commitment. It has diverted lottery funds, and direct support for our national museums has fallen as a proportion of operating costs."